Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate: Causes, Risks, and Treatments in 2024
Cleft lip and cleft palate are terms for splits in the roof of the mouth and the upper lip. In these cases, the baby’s face doesn’t close during pregnancy, which leads to a congenital disability or congenital abnormality. This failure of fusion can be mild, moderate, or serious, and it can happen on either side of the face.
Cleft lip or cleft palate is a congenital disability that affects babies worldwide. Children born with clefts may have one cleft lip or one cleft palate. If you have a cleft lip or palate, surgery can help you function normally and look more natural with fewer scars.
What is cleft lip and cleft palate?
What is cleft lip?
A cleft lip is a congenital disability that happens when the tissues that make up the upper lip don’t fully join together during fetal development, usually between weeks 4 and 7. This leaves a space between the two sides of the upper lip. This space can be as small as a depression or as big as a gap in the nose. The roof of the mouth (the palate) and the lips are two other possible places to separate. Children with cleft lips are more likely also to have a cleft palate. A cleft lip can happen in the middle or on both sides.
What is cleft palate?
A cleft palate is a congenital disease that results from the tissues that make up the roof of the mouth (palate) failing to fuse completely during fetal development, typically between weeks 6 and 9 of pregnancy. This makes a space or split in the palate, impacting both the hard palate (the hard front part) and the mouth’s soft palate (the soft back part). Cleft lip or cleft palate are both types of “orofacial clefts.” A cleft palate creates many problems while swallowing and learning language. It can also cause ear infections that make hearing hard.
Risk Factors of Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
Genetic and environmental factors play a role in cleft lip and palate form. Below are some of the most important difficulties and risk factors:
Cleft problems are more likely to happen if someone in your family has had one.
- Health problems and way of life:
- Using drugs or smoking while pregnant.
- If you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes before pregnancy.
- Fetal acidity in the mother.
- Medications:
- Antiseizure Medications.
- Treat acne in which Accutane® include.
- Methotrexate is used to treat psoriasis, arthritis, and cancer.
- Exposure to Harmful Substances:
- During pregnancy, some drugs or viruses can be passed on.
Complications of Cleft Lip and Palate
Babies born with cleft lips or mouths may have a very difficult time. The chances of this depend on the type and severity of the illness.
- Having trouble feeding:
Newborn babies with cleft palates may face difficulty to breastfeed or bottle feed because they have trouble sucking.
- Having trouble listening:
Due to fluid buildup in the middle ear, people with cleft lips are more likely to get infections and lose their hearing.
- Dental issues:
By preventing tooth growth, clefts that go into the upper gums can lead to misaligned teeth and other oral problems.
- Talking issues:
If someone has a cleft lip and can’t speak clearly, they often nasalize, which is needed to make sounds.
- Emotional and Social Challenges:
Changes in the body that don’t seem normal and ongoing medical treatments can cause worry, anxiety, and behavioural disorders.
Medical help must be given instantly to relieve these problems and improve the child’s life. This may include treatment and recovery afterwards.
Causes:
The tissues that make up the upper lip and palate don’t fuse fully during early pregnancy, usually between the 6th and 10th weeks. This can lead to a cleft lip or cleft palate, and if there isn’t enough fusion, clefts can form in the lip or mouth.
- Genetic Factors
- Some congenital disabilities, like cleft lip, can be passed down from parents or grandparents to offspring.
- Some cases are linked to genetic problems, such as the Pierre Robin sequence or the 22q11 deletion syndrome (DiGeorge syndrome).
- Environmental Triggers
- Smoking, alcohol consumption, or substance use during pregnancy.
- Some drugs are used to treat seizures, and other medicines are taken early in pregnancy.
- Deficiency of folic acid and other nutrients can cause clefts.
- Obesity or exposure to harmful chemicals while pregnant.
Is cleft lip genetic?
People with cleft lips and palates may have children with cleft lips and palates. Do you or your partner have a cleft lip or palate? There is a 2% to 8% chance that your child will have it too. You will likely have another child with a cleft lip or palate if one of your children has a cleft lip.
How Are Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate Diagnosed?
You can find out if a baby has a cleft lip or cleft palate before or after birth. Standard ultrasounds are often used to determine if a pregnant woman has split lips. These tests can be done as early as 12 weeks but are most often done at the 20-week ultrasound anatomy scan. It is easier to find single cleft palates after birth; this method only works for about 7% of cases. Doctors may suggest amniocentesis to check for genetic problems linked to the pregnancy.
Cleft lip and palate are often found soon after birth. If a baby has a cleft palate, especially a submucous one, the mouth and nose may need to be closely examined as part of the newborn physical check. Early diagnosis is crucial for treatment and care planning, especially when working with a professional team. Parents can get help and information from the Cleft Lip and Palate Association.
Prevention:
Some cases of cleft lip and cleft palate can’t be avoided, but some things can be done to lower the chance of them happening. Pregnant women who want to reduce their chance of cleft lip problems should avoid some drugs, smoking, and drinking. Taking folic acid and other prenatal vitamins before, during, and after pregnancy may help babies grow properly.
Talk to a genetic expert before getting pregnant if someone in your family has had a cleft. This may help you perceive the dangers more clearly. Find a doctor to ensure your baby stays healthy while pregnant.
Treatment for Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate
Surgery is the most popular way to treat cleft lip and palate. Most babies have surgery to treat a cleft lip when they are three to six months old. This technique makes the face evener, closes the lip, and enables the baby to talk and eat earlier. Most children who need surgery for a cleft lip are between 10 and 12 months old. This process makes speaking easier, closes the space between the mouth and nose, and prevents food and liquids from passing into the nasal cavity.
Before surgery, treatments like nasal alveolar moulding (NAM) or lip taping can shape the lip and nose to improve the surgery.
After surgery, children usually eat something soft or watery to prevent their stitches from hurting. To prevent their healing without complications, they might wear special bands called “no-nos” that prevent them from putting their hands or other things in their mouths.
Conclusion:
Finally, cleft lip and cleft palate can have a big effect on a child’s physical and mental health because it is so difficult to deal with. However, these problems can be fixed with quick evaluation, advanced surgeries, and teamwork in patient care. From before birth to after surgery, every part of a child’s care is meant to improve their quality of life and help them grow socially, emotionally, and physically. Children get the care they need when they get help from qualified medical teams Families also play a key part in supporting them. Most children born with cleft lip and palate can live normally due to proper care.
FAQ’s
What are the main causes of cleft lip?
Cleft lips can be caused by environmental factors, like smoking or drinking alcohol while pregnant, as well as by some drugs.
Is cleft lip a disability?
A cleft lip is a congenital disability that can make it hard to do certain things, though in some cases, it is not considered a disability.
What is the #1 problem with cleft lip?
A cleft lip is especially scary because it can make feeding difficult and, if not treated, can cause speech and mouth health problems.
How can I prevent a cleft lip during pregnancy?
To lower the risk of cleft lip in babies, pregnant women should take pregnancy vitamins, talk to their doctor about medicines they may need, and avoid smoke and drinking.
What causes a cleft lip in a baby?
A cleft lip occurs when the tissues in the upper lip don’t join properly while the baby is still in the womb. There are many reasons, such as genetics and environmental factors.
Can you fix a cleft lip?
Yes, surgery can help make a cleft lip look better and work better. The surgery is usually done during the baby’s first few months of life.